Serum sICAM-1 (soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1) and M-CSF (macrophage colony-stimulating growth factor) throughout monitoring of 34 non-serous ovarian cancers

Purpose: Evaluation of serum ICAM-1 (soluble intercellular adhesion molecul e-1) and M-CSF (macrophage colony-stimulating growth factor) determinations for monitoring patients with non-serous ovarian cancers. Methods: ELISA assay of sICAM-1 (cut-off 235 ng/ml) and M-CSF (cut-off 450 pg/ml) in 190 blood samples from 34 patients. Results: In pre-treatment sera (n=17), sICAM-I was over the cut-off in 12/1 7 (70.6%), M-CSF in 14/17 (82.4%) and CA 125 in 12/16 (75%). sICAM-1 was re lated only to age at diagnosis (p = 0.0008). M-CSF was positively correlate d to FIGO stage (p = 0.04) CA 125 was elevated in 90.9% of adenocarcinomas (p = 0.033 vs other). None of the 3 biological markers were related to othe r clinico-pathological criteria. Among disease-free patients, higher median concentrations of sICAM-1 and M- CSF were recorded under adjuvant treatment than without (p = 0.014, and p = 0.08, respectively). After relapse, the highest levels of sICAM-I, M-CSF a nd CA 125 were observed in progressive disease (46/53, 86.8% (p = 0.014), 5 1/53 96.2% (p = 0.008) and 46/52 88.5% (p > 0.05), respectively). Conclusion: In non-serous ovarian cancers, sICAM-1 although elevated in mos t cases, is not useful for monitoring. Serum M-CSF is a valuable marker whe n ovarian tumours do not express CA 125.